Symbolic imageRussia's Supreme Court bars antiwar Yabloko from Duma ballot
Russia's Supreme Court struck the only antiwar party, Yabloko, from the September Duma ballot on Monday, granting a suit by the pro-Kremlin party Rodina.
Judge Vyacheslav Kirillov cancelled the registration of Yabloko's candidate list on Monday, 10 August, three days after Rodina sued over alleged copyright breaches, illegal campaigning and "extremism"; the disputed items included ChatGPT-generated images. The Prosecutor General's Office backed the suit, and the Central Election Commission, which had registered Yabloko in July, endorsed the removal. Hundreds of supporters chanted "Shame!" outside the court; the judge allowed an appeal, which Yabloko says it will file. Observers cited by Handelsblatt tie the move to the party's surge since registration.
A classified funding file
The election commission also cited a Rosfinmonitoring document saying candidates on Yabloko's list had received foreign money. The party said the funds came from Russian citizens and from foreign securities that candidates must sell before a vote.
Calls for protest votes
Yulia Navalnaya urged Russians to vote for any party but United Russia, while Ilya Yashin's Peaceful Russia party asked opponents of the war to vote at exactly noon on 20 September.
Other opinions
Handelsblatt gives room to Rodina's argument that a ceasefire demand contradicts the Kremlin's aim of taking four Ukrainian regions; Meduza foregrounds the weakness of the copyright claims.